By William Jones
Cancer has a way of upending life when it’s least expected. No one knows that better than Phoenix entrepreneur Sean Bassik. As a young man, he received a devastating, life-altering diagnosis that seemingly came out of nowhere.
“I have a rare cancer called pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer,” he says. “It was at stage 3 when I was diagnosed, after which I had an operation. After a recurrence four years later, it was declared stage 4.”
Like many others who are diagnosed with a terminal illness, Bassik suddenly felt vulnerable.
“That kind of vulnerability is never comfortable,” he reflects. “But it taught me how to rely on and appreciate the community that surrounded me. Everyone deserves that kind of support when they’re going through their most difficult moments.”
As he persevered through the emotional and physical challenges of cancer treatment, Bassik became more determined than ever to offer others the same kind of care and support that he had received.
“Philanthropy has always been important to me,” he says. “But after my diagnosis, it became even more personal. I wanted to offer a different kind of support, one that could actively work to improve systems of care.”
Bassik chose to support a collection of local and national organizations where he felt he could do the most good. One such organization is City of Hope, a Phoenix-area cancer center and one of the world leaders in cancer treatment and research. Because the center can connect patients with emerging treatments that might not be available everywhere, it offers hope to those who previously thought they were out of options.
High-quality cancer care is often difficult to access, and for many, cost is a barrier. City of Hope offers financial assistance to eligible patients to help them get the treatment and comprehensive support they need as they face devastating diagnoses.
City of Hope isn’t the only facility offering cancer care to patients in the Phoenix area. Bassik also supports the non-profit healthcare system HonorHealth, which serves five million people, along with Phoenix Children’s Hospital. The latter costs roughly $2.7 million per day to operate, and gifts like Bassik’s help ensure that children can continue to access lifesaving care.
Although much of his philanthropy targets organizations that provide cancer treatment and resources, Bassik also donates to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Chrysalis, an organization that supports families impacted by domestic abuse.
NAMI serves those impacted by mental illness as well as their families. It offers free support groups and a confidential helpline, and it also advocates for the rights of people with mental health conditions.
Chrysalis aims to support Phoenix-area individuals and families impacted by domestic abuse, providing emergency shelter, trauma-informed counseling, transitional housing, and mobile victim advocacy. Unlike many similar organizations, it also offers weekly educational courses for domestic violence offenders, both court-ordered and self-referred.
And Bassik’s support even extends beyond his local borders in his work with Shin Fujiyama and the 1,000 Schools Project in Honduras, an organization that strives to deliver school supplies and other basic necessities for children on remote islands.
As Bassik discovered during his cancer treatment, real community care happens when organizations and individuals step up to help those in need. He saw firsthand how life-changing community support can be, and now, he’s hoping to pay it forward.
“My cancer diagnosis has proven to be one of my life’s greatest challenges,” Bassik says. “But I’m grateful that it’s provided an opportunity for me to give back to the community that was there for me.”
